Novelty and amusement device



Ap 8, 1950 A. GOLDFARB 2,504,679

NOVELTY AND AMUSEMENT DEVI-CE Filed Nov. 24, 1948 I N V EN TOR. azpzxg/M Way 7 W Patented A r. 18, 1950 NOVELTY AND musnmzur nnvrca r iAdolph Goldfarb, Chicago, m., assign'or to H. Fishiove & 00., Chicago,11!.

Application November 24, 1948, Serial No. 61,809 6 Claims- (Cl. 46-118)This invention relates to a novelty and amusement device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novelty andamusement device simulating the opening and closing of the teeth of themouth in rapid succession and creating the amusing illusion of a personwho is iabbering or speaking rapidly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pair of memberssimulating dental plates, which are hinged together and operated bymechanical means to rapidly open and close and to simultaneously rockand creep forward when on a surface, and to provide a teeth clickingsound when thus operated.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the plates in closed positionand the device tilted anis m with the spring member removed therefrom.

The device comprises an upper plate member II and a. lower plate memberl2, made of plastic or other suitable material, each shaped to simulatethe conventional dental plate, and each provided with imitation teeth [4and I6 respectively formed in the substantially vertical walls of eachof the plates, which may be integrally formed with the plate and coloredwhite with the rest of the plate being flesh color.

The invention may be briefly and generally described as follows. To theinside of the roof Ila of the upper plate member is secured the springwound motor mechanism, generally indicated at It. Pivotally secured tosaid motor mechanism and operated thereby is an actuated member,generally indicated at 20, which in turn is secured to the lower platemember l2. When the spring has been wound and the motor mechanism isoperating, the upper plate 16 is pivotally and rapidly raised andlowered, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and will continue to so operateuntil the spring of the motor mechanism unwound. This creates theillusion of teeth rapidly opening and closing. On the underside'of thelower plate member I2 is secured a plate having a raised or rib portion22 running across the width thereof and extending slightly below thebottom edges of the lower dental plate. As

the upper dental plate is rapidly moving up and down on its pivotal orhinged connection, it causes the device to vibrate and to alternatelyrock back and forth on the rib, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, andsimultaneously creep forward on the surface on which it is placed.

The spring wound motor mechanism and the operating parts will now bedescribed in detail.

The spring wound motor mechanism heretofore generally indicated at 16comprises a bottom housing plate 26 which is turned upwardly at itsopposite ends to provide a front wall 28 and a rear wall 30. A tophousing plate 32 rests on the walls 28 and 36 and is secured thereto bylugs 33 and 34 which enter the openings in the top housing plate 32 andare then turned over. The two housing plates 26 and 32 thus secured formthe housing for the spring and operating parts. The top housing plate ispermanently secured or anchored by any suitable fastening means to theroof of the upper dental plate member l0.

Supported in alined openings in the top and bottom housing plates 26 and32 is a vertical windup shaft 36 having a square shaped end 31 extendingbelow the bottom plate 26. The end 31 is to be engaged by a removablewind-up key 38 for winding the spring. A spring 40 is wound around thevertical shaft 36 and has its inner end suitable secured in aconventional manner to the shaft 36 and its outer end anchored as at 33to the front wall 28. Fixedly secured on the shaft 36 to rotatetherewith (when the shaft is rotated clockwise for winding the spring)is a Z-shaped pawl 42 having the ends of its arms turned up as at 43 and44 to engage the spaced apertures 45 in the gear 46 which is freelyrotatable on the shaft 36 above the pawl 42. The upturned ends 43 and 44on the pawl 42 will pass or override the apertures 45 in the gear 46when the shaft 36 is rotated clockwise (when viewed from the bottom orlooking down as in Fig. 7) to wind spring 46, but will engage theapertures 45 to rotate with the gear 46 in the reverse direction whenunwinding.

Supported between the housing plates 26 and 32, adjacent the gear 46 isa rotatable shaft 48.

The shaft a pinion 56 which meshes with cured a gear wheel 62 whichmeshes with an-.

other pinion 54, to be described.

Supported between the housing plates 26 and 32. adjacent the gear wheel62 is a rotatable shaft 53 which carries the pinion 64 engaged by thegear wheel 52. Secured under the pinion 64 to rotate therewith is anescapement wheel "having downwardly extending teeth 61 which are inengagement with either of the lips of the actuated member, heretoforegeneraly designated as 26, and to be presently described.

The bottom housing plate 26 has a pair of upright cars 21 in which ispivotally secured the movable or actuated member, generally indicated at20, which in turn is secured to the lower dental plate l2. The actuatedmember 20 which may be stamped or formed out of a single piece of metalmaterial comprises a horizontal section 58 having upturned ears 59 whichare bent laterally as at 66 to provide axles to be received in theopenings of the upright ears 21 in the bottom plate 26 and to provide apivotal connection.

The horizontal section 56 is stamped toprovide a forwardly extendingupturned lip 62 on one side and another rearwardly extending upturnedlip 6| on the opposite side. One of these lips is always in engagementwith the teeth 51 of the escapement wheel 56. As the upper plate 16 ispivotally moving-up and down, the escapement wheel 56 will be rotatingcounterclockwise (as viewed in Fig. '1 or clockwise as viewed in Fig. 6)and will alternately engage lips 6| and 62 to arrest the escapementwheel and to permit it to advance counterclockwise one tooth at a time.The escapement wheel 56 alternately striking the lips 6i and 62 willcause it to produce a clicking sound, similar to the engagement ofteeth, which adds to the realistic effect sought to be achieved. .Thehorizontal section 58 of the actuated member has an elongated opening,not

shown, surrounding the shaft 53, permitting it to clear the shaft duringthe pivotal action. The opposite sides of the horizontal section 56 arebent downwardly to provide sides 64, 65 which clear the bottom housingplate and which are then bent forwardly to form anchoring members 66 and61 which in turn are suitably and permanently secured to the inside ofthe bottom dental plate I2.

Secured to the rear of the upper and lower dental plates 10 and I2 is acoil spring 68 which maintains a slight pressure on the upper dentalplate I suflicient to cause the mechanism to operate when the springmotor 40 is wound.

In the lower dental plate l2 there is an opening 13 which will be inalinement with the end 31 of the winding shaft 36 when the plates arebrought together as in Fig. 1, so that the winding key 36 may beinserted through the opening 13 to engage the shaft 36 and to rotate itclockwise for winding the spring 46.

The operation will now be described. The key 38 is inserted throughopening l3 to engage the end 31 of the shaft 36 and is rotated clockwisealso rotating the shaft 36 and tightening the spring 46 to place itunder tension. Simultaneously rotated clockwise with the shaft 36 is thZ-shaped pawl 42 whose upturned ends 43 and 44 override or pass theopenings 45 in the gear 46. When rotation of the shaft 36 is stoppedmomentarily or otherwise, the upturned ends 33 and 34 will engage theopenings 45 in the gear 46 and lock therewith and prevent the spring 464 from unwinding until the gear 46 with the locked pawl 42 is permittedto turn counterclockwise. As seen, the gear cannot turn counterclockwiseas it is prevented by the escapement mechanism. However, when the deviceis placed on a flat surface as a table and the hand is removed from thedevice, the spring 66 will exert sumcient tension on the upperplateto'cause it to pivot upwardly, as in Fig. '4, which simultaneouslymoves the upturned lip 62 in engagement with the escapement wheel 56 todisengag therewith and to enable the escapement wheel to advance onetooth until it engages the other lip 61. The plate It) then pivotsdownwardly. This sets oi! the operation of the escapement wheel whichwill continue to rotate clockwise tooth by tooth until the spriifig' isfully unwound. During this operation, the upper plate III is constantlyand rapidly moving up and down on its pivotal or hinged connection withrespect to the lower plate.

More specifically, when the spring 46 was wound, the escapement wheel inengagement with the lip 62 prevented the spring from unwinding, howeveras soon as'the escapement wheel 56 starts operating as above pointedout, it operates pinion 54, which meshes with gear 52 operating pinion50 to mesh with gear 46 on the windup shaft to which the spring 40 issecured. This operation continues until the spring is unwound and nofurther spring pressure is exerted on the escapement wheel 56.

As the upper plate I0 continues to hingedly or pivotally move up anddown rapidly, with respect to the lower plate 12, it gives theappearance of a person jabbering or engaged in rapid conversation. Thisvertical vibration will cause the device to alternately tilt forward andrearward on the rib 22 and will make the device creep or move forwardlyon the surface as it is operating. This together with the clicking soundwhich is produced by the escapement mechanism produces a novel,realistic and amusing effect.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-contained portable novelty and amusement device comprising aplate formed to simulate the upper jaw of a mouth, a downwardlydepending substantially vertical wall on said plate formed to simulatethe teeth of a mouth, a lower plate formed to simulate the lower jaw ofa mouth, an upwardly extending substantially vertical wall on said lowerplate formed to simulate the teeth of a mouth, a spring wound motormechanism housed between said plates and walls and secured to one ofsaid plates and having means connected to said other plate to provide ahinging action between said plates adjacent the rear ends thereof, andso constructed and arranged that when said motor mechanism is actuatedthe plate will be caused to vibrate with formed to simulate the teeth ofa mouth, a lower plate formed to simulate the lower jaw of a mouth, anupwardly extending substantially vertical wall on said lower plateformed to simulate the teeth of a mouth, a spring wound motor mechanismhoused between said plates and walls and secured to one of said platesand having means connected to said other late to provide a hingingaction between said plates adjacent the rear ends thereof, and soconstructed and arranged that when said motor mechanism is actuated theplates will be caused to vibrate with respect to each other and open andclose widely at their forward ends simulating the movement of the teethof a mouth when jabbering, said spring wound motor mechanism havingmeans producing a continuous clicking sound effect as said plates arevibrated with respect to each other.

3. A self contained portable novelty and amusement device comprising anupper and a lower plate each simulating a dental plate, a spring woundmotor mechanism secured inside one oi said plates and having meansconnected to said other plate to provide a hinging action between saidplates, and so constructed and arranged that when said motor mechanismis actuated the plates will be caused to vibrate with respect to eachother simulating the movement of the teeth of a mouth, and meansprojecting from the under side of the lower plate intermediate the ends,about which said device rocks as it vibrates when rested on a support.

4. A self contained po'rtable novelty and amusement device comprising anupper and a lower plate each simulating a dental plate, a spring woundmotor mechanism secured inside one of said plates and having meansconnected to said other plate to provide a hinging action between saidplates, and so constructed and arranged that when said motor mechanismis actuated the plates will be caused to vibrate with respect to eachother simulating the movement of the teeth of a mouth, and transverselydisposed means projecting from the under side of the lower plateintermediate the ends, about which said device rocks longitudinally asit'vibrates when rested on a support.

5. A self contained portable novelty and amuSe-.

ment device comprising a plate simulating the upper jaw of a humanmouth, a downwardly extending flange on said plate simulating the teethof a mouth, a lower plate simulating the lower jaw of a human mouth, anupwardly extending flange on said plate simulating the teeth of a mouth,a spring wound motor mechanism secured inside one of said plates andhaving means connected to said other plate to provide a hinging actionbetween said plates, and so constructed and arranged that when saidmotor mechanism is actuated the plates will be caused to vibrate withrespect to each other simulating the movement of the teeth of a mouth,said spring wound motor mechanism having means producing a continuousclicking sound effect as said plates are vibrated with respect to eachother, and means projecting from the under side of the lower plate aboutwhich said device rocks as it vibrates whe rested on a support. 6. Aself-contained portable novelty and amusement device comprising a platesimulating the up per jaw of a human mouth, a substantially verticalwall on said plate simulating the teeth of a mouth, a lower platesimulating the lower jaw of a human mouth, a substantially vertical wallon said lower plate simulating the teeth of a mouth, a spring woundmotor mechanism secured inside one of said plates and having meansconnected to said other plate to provide a hinging action between saidplates, and so constructed and arranged that when said motor mechanismis actuated the plates will be caused to vibrate with respect to eachother simulating the movement of the teeth of a mouth, and meansprojecting from the under side of the lower plate about which saiddevice rocks as it vibrates when rested upon supporting surface,resulting thereby in a creeping motion.

ADOLPH GOLDFARB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 932,875 Lavallee et al Aug. 31,1909 1,423,383 Zaiden July 18, 1922 1,500,590 Marx July 8, 19241,674,943 Berger June 20, 1928

